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New car purchases up in Washington state

Despite skyrocketing gas prices and an unemployment rate that's just beginning to drop - from 9.3 percent in January to 9.1 percent in February, according to state officials - that's not enough to prevent Washington state residents from buying a new car.

Speaking to local television news station WXLY, local car retailers believe the recent rise is a reflection of the successful auto show held earlier this year. The station says there was an 8 percent increase in attendance compared to last year.

Shayne Goff, who's the general manager of Wendle Motors, told the station his sales are up 15 percent compared to last year and almost 30 percent compared to 2009. Goff said he's only cautiously optimistic, however, as the sting of high gas prices tends to affect how willing people are to buy.

New car purchases bring new auto insurance policies. According to Insweb, Washington state residents pay the 24th highest auto insurance rate in the country, averaging $618 for a six-month policy. Louisiana's median rate is the costliest, while Idaho's is the lowest.